Framing apparatus



0. HORTON.

FRAMING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1920 1,418,570. atentedJune 6,1922.

{SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. HORTON. FRAMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1920.

1,418,579. PatentedJune 6, 1922,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- C. HORTON.

FRAMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1920 Patented June 6, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRAMING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed February 9, 1920. Serial No. 357,271.

picture film machines.

There are in present day use several methods of securing a driving connection between the "intermittent cam shaft and the other mechanism, some of which are enumerated below.

1. The use of a geartoggle such as used on Powers projector.

2. The use of a rotating barrel containing the intermittent mechanism as used on the Simplex projector.

3. The use of universal joints and tele-- scoping shaft as used on the Standard projector.

4. The use of a slotted coupling as used on the Motiograph.

The above methods are well understood and it will, therefore, be unnecessary to describe them in further detail herein.

All of these methods are subject to serious faults. The Powers toggle connection, for instance, is incorrectly designed to such an extent that in all except one position of the framing carriage the gears are actually not in correct mesh. On this account these gears are noisy, wear out quickly and permit much backlash between the film and the shutter. These faults are well recognized, but no more satisfactory method had been discovered up to the time of my present invention.

The Simplex arrangement, on the other hand, is very delicate and is also asynchronous, which is to say that the rotary motion for framing, has the effect of throwing out of time the shutter and the film, which dis' crepancy is crudely compensated for by a cam and a sliding spiral gear.

The Standard universal joint is naturally subject to the usual faults of universal joints and has practically been discarded.

The Motiograph slotted coupling is very noisy and vibrates excessively and wears quickly.

My invention, hereinafter described, has

none of the faults described above, and, in addition, has many important advantages, as will appear.

I There are-two distinct methods of framing the film in use at the present time. The first of these is the bodily up and down m'ovement of the intermittent sprocket, as used in the Powers machine, and the other is the rotation of the sprocket, as used in the Simplex. Each of these methods has its advantages and my method partakes of the nature of both. 0

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagram to which reference will be had in describing below the underlying theory of the present invention;

ig. 2 is a similar diagram;

Fig. 3 is a similar diagram;

Fig. 4 is a similar diagram;

Fig. 5 is a. horizontal sectional view, certain of the parts being shown in elevation, of an embodiment of the invention illustrating a practical way of constructing a projector-head pursuant to such theory;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, with certain of theparts broken away and in section;

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 5, showing an embodiment of the invention as applied to the Simplex machine;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the parts of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig, 5, showing an embodiment of the invention as applied to the Powers #6 Cameragraph;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fi 6, but showing the parts of Fig. 9, with t e framing carriage atits upper limit of travel; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, with the framing carriage, however, at its lower limit of travel.

My method is based on the fact that the hypocycloid generated by a pair of circles whose diameters bear the ratio 2:1, or substantially that ratio, is a straight line (and a diameter of the larger,) or a substantially straight line. This is shown in Figs. lt'o 4 of the accompanying drawings, in which 1 represents the larger circle, 2 the half size circle, and 3 the hypocycloid (the diameter of circle 1.) This diagram shows that when the circle 2 rolls around on the circle 1 through the are 4, the point 5 on the smaller circle travels along the diameter 3.

It is evident that such a straight or substantially straight movement up and down is what is necessary for the Powers method of framing and it is further evident that if the intermittent sprocket could be placed at the point 5 it could move up and down along the line 3 without the circle 2 ever getting out of contact with the circle 1.

I have succeeded in thus placing the intermittent sprocket, as will be evident from a study of the other figures of the drawings. Fig. 2 shows how the sprocket 6 would be located with reference to the other elements of the device when framing upward from its' central position a distance represented by the line 7. Fig. 3 shows the sprocket in midposition and Fig. 4 shows the position of the sprocket after framing downward a distance represented by the line 8.

It will be evident, after consideration of these diagrams, that, in order to use the principle as an intermittent drive, if the framing movement is to be in a straight line, which is ideal, and if-the point 5 is in that case to represent the center or axis of the sprocket, as is convenient, the circle 1 must be the pitch line of an internal gear, the circle 2 the pitch line of a spur gear, and the point 5, the center of the sprocket, must be on the pitch line 2, wherever the sprocket may move; in other words, the point 5 must be the center of the sprocket and the point 9 the center of the cam shaft.

I have met this requirement by arranging the parts, as'shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Here 10 represents the internal gear driver, and 11 the spur gear driven by it and fixed to the cam shaft 12 and rigidly connected to the Powers cam 13. At 14 is the cam follower mounted on the sprocket spindle 15. supporting the sprocket 16. The intermittent supporting bracket is shown at 17, which has, concentric with the sprocket, a disc-like bevelled portion 18 which contacts with a bevelled ring 19. This bevelled ring sets in a depression in the plate 20, to which it is secured by screws. It will be evident that this arrangement permits the entire intermittent movement to be rotated about the center of the sprocket or to be removed by removing the bevelled retaining ring 19, which ring is also useful" to take up wear. The plate 20 is also bevelled. on its vertical edges and held against the frame 21 by means of the gib 22. This arrangement permits the entire intermittent to slide vertically for framing. The center of the sprocket and the center of the internal gear are thus maintained in the vertical alignment which is desirable, and essential if the best principles of machine design areobserved and the best operative efficiency obtained, and

the spur gear 11 is kept in proper mesh with the internal gear 10 by means of the duplicate gear couple 23. This gear couple is composed of a portion of an internal gear 24 held stationary on the supporting frame of the mechanism and" the portion of aspur gear, 25, mounted rigidly on the cam shaft bearing of the intermittent support 17. The operation of this element of the apparatus will cause the cam shaft to revolve around the sprocket shaft whenever the slide 20 is moved-the cam shaft moving clockwise for upward motion of the slide 20 and counterclockwise for downward motion.

It will be noted also that up and down framing movement of the sprocket does not aifect the phase relation of the cam and its follower, or in other words that the device is synchronous and does not need any correction device between the intermittent and the shutter. It will be further seen that the rotation of the cam shaft about the sprocket shaft has the effect of adding to the framing action of the device because, for instance, a downward framing movement of the sprocket is accompanied by a counter-clockwise movement of the sprocket, both having the effect of pulling down the film. Another advantage lies in the fact that the total framing movement possible with this apparatus is equal to the length of a diameter of the internal gear plus half the circumference of the sprocket-an amount corresponding to approximately 71- pict-ures of the film in standard machine. Thisgreat framing range is not at the present time of any great ad vantage but may become so. The usual framing distance of about 1-}- pictures is obtained in my arrangement by a total vertical movement of approximately the equivalent of 1 picture.

Another advantage of my device lies in the perfection of the drive, it being a simple spur drive between a spur gear and an internal gear, which has come to be rectig niied as a drive smooth, long wearing and positive. A a

The chamber 26 is intended to contain oil, so that all the moving parts are perfectly lubricated.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 I have shown an arrange ment of my invention which allows of the application, of the invention to the Powers #6 cameragraph without any serious changes in design. In these figures I have numbered the parts to correspond to the parts shown in the foregoing figures, so that throughout the figured parts having the same identification numbers have the same function in every case. Fig. 9 is a top view of my device arranged in a Powers #6 machine. Here 10, the internal gear driver, is integral with the flywheel and the cam 13 is mounted on the side of the machine opposite to which it is arranged in the preceding figures. The framing carriage or intermittent supporting bracket here takes-the form of an H wherein 26, 26 indicate the sides of the H and 27 the crossbar. This H carriage has three points of support, one being the link 28, which rotatably connects the cam shaft 12 to the stationary shaft 29 held fixedly in the main frame; the center of this fixed shaft 29 being on the vertical line along which the sprocket 16 travels and is coincident with the center of the internal driver gear 10, also. Thus this link is a spacing link which keeps the internal gear and the spur gear always in correct meshing alignment. The Othul two supports of the H-like carriage are the sliding pivots 30, 30, which are pivoted to the upper limbs of the H carriage and arranged to slide in the boxes 31 on the main frame. The center line of these pivot connections is arranged to slide along a horizontal diameter of the internal gear and intercepts the pitch circle of the spur gear. Now since all points on the pitch circle of the spur gear travel back and forth along diameters of the internal gear, this point, therefore, so travels along the horizontal diameter of the internal gear whenever the center of the intermittent sprocket travels along a vertical diameter. Thus it is evident the slides and gibs used in the arrangements previously discussed are here replaced by the link 28, the H-shaped framing carriage 17 and the sliding pivots 30, the resultant movements of the intermittent sprocket being thus obtained in a different way. Figs. 10 and 11 show the parts respectively when the framing carriage is at its upper limit of travel and when it is at its lower limit of travel.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown how my invention may be applied to the Simplex machine or any other machine where the usual Geneva movement is used. All the parts are numbered like similar parts in the other figures and the arrangement will be easily" understood by comparison of the two forms.

1 have conceived other forms of this in vention and realize that still others can pos sibly be made, but consider that the salient features which I desire to protect by Letters Patent must be present in all of them.

It will of course be understood that the various embodiments herein disclosed are merely illustrative of the invention. and all language herein contained is not to be taken in a limiting sense except where the claims make definite prescriptions. The scope of protection contemplated, of course, is indicated by the claims. Even so far as the claims themselves are concerned. however, they are to be given the fullest range of equivalents appropriate to the degree of novelty of the present invention as now known or hereafter ascertained. For example. the claims all refer to the element for directly engaging the film and pulling the same, as the sprocket, by which term sprocket'is meant any rotor or claw or the like for directly engaging the film and for pulling the same intermittently according to the well-known principles of motion picture projection.

I claim:

1. In motion picture apparatus, the combination of an intermittent couple having a cam and a follower; a sprocket; and means for simultaneously rotating the sprocket about its axis, to pull the film, and for moving the sprocket bodily, to frame the film, such means including an internal gear, driving means therefor, a spur gear meshing with the internal gear, operative connections between the spur gear and one of the members of said couple and between the other member of said couple and the sprocket, and pivoted means for supporting the spur gear and the sprocket and adapted to be swung on its pivot to cause bodily movements of the spur gear and of the sprocket to frame the film and simultaneously maintain the two gears in mesh for continuing the pulling of the film.

2. In motion picture apparatus, the combination of an internal driving gear, an in termittentcouple having a cam and a follower, driving means from the internal gear to one member of the couple and including a spur gear meshing with the internal gear,

a sprocket, an operative connection between the other member of the intermittent couple and said sprocket for pulling the film, a pivoted support comprising a planetary mounting for the spur gear, and a supporting member for the sprocket connected to said planetary mounting, there being provided manual means for swinging said planetary mounting about its pivotto frame the film while maintaining the spur gear and the internal gear in mesh to simultaneously continue pulling the film.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the internal gear has a pitch diameter substantially twice the pitch diameter of the spur gear.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the internal gear has a pitch diameter substantially twice the pitch diameter of the spur gear.

5. In combination, an intermittent couple having a cam and a follower, a sprocket operatively connected with said couple adapted to pull a film, a drive for said couple includ ing a spur gear connected to said cam and an internal gear meshing with said spur gear, said internal gear having a pitch diameter equal to substantially twice the pitch diameter of said spur gear, and means for moving said sprocket and the spur gear simultaneously through a path within the peripheral limits of the internal gear, to frame the film, while maintaining the spur gear and the int iernal gear continuously in mesh, to pull the 6. The apparatus defined in i claim 5,

wherein said spur gear has a pitch diameter equal to'substantially twice the distance between the centers of rotation of the members of said intermittent couple.

7. In combination, an intermittent couple having a cam and a follower, a sprocket operatively connected with said couple and adapted to pull a film, a drive for said couple including a spur gear connected to said cam and an internal gear meshing with said spur gear, said spur gear having a pitch diameter equal to substantially twice the distance between the centers of rotation of the members of said intermittent couple and said internal gear havin a pitch diameter 15 equal to substantially twlce the pitch diameter of said spur gear, and means for moving said sprocket substantially along a diameter of said internal gear.

Signed at New York, in the county of New 20 York and State of New York this 31st day of January, A. D. 1920.

CHARLES HORTON. 

